A case report including EM and DNA repair investigations in a dermatosis associated with multiple skin cancers: epidermodysplasia verruciformis.

This report describes the clinical, histological and electron microscopic observations in a 51-year-old male with epidermodysplasia veruciformis (EV). Cells with early signs of malignant transformation were found closely connected with virus infected epidermal regions. Skin cancers appeared initially on sun-exposed areas, such as the face and ear lobes. The UV-induced DNA repair synthesis was therefore studied, utilizing peripheral leukocytes. The patient had 40% lower UV-induced DNA repair synthesis than the mean of nine healthy subjects of the same age. These results suggest that a decrease in UV-induced DNA repair synthesis in combination with a possibly oncogenic viral infection may enhance the disposition for somatic mutations and malignant transformation in patients with EV.